Veteran Commissioner Dennis Berg is poised to become the Anoka County Board’s next chairman.

On Tuesday – the day retiring Chairwoman Margaret Langfeld presided over her last meeting – several influential commissioners said Berg is the one.

Nothing will be certain until commissioners vote Jan. 2, but Berg himself expressed an optimism that he can unite what could become a fractious board since the disintegration of a campaign to bring the Minnesota Vikings to Blaine.

“A huge goal of mine is to have harmony on the board, which is what Marge did,” said Berg, a 61-year-old from Burns Township who was first elected in 1991 and currently serves as Langfeld’s vice chair.

Langfeld, whose 23 years on the board includes the final two as chairwoman, was seen as a moderating voice amid the spirited debate over whether county taxpayers should subsidize the NFL stadium proposal. While her support for the doomed plan was never in question, her down-home style of running meetings prohibited raucousness that could have evolved as the issue emerged as central in several political races earlier this year.

Similarly, Berg, who is fond of attributing his soft-spoken style to his Scandinavian heritage, supported the stadium but moderated his tone in the face of a vigorous election challenge from stadium skeptic Teri Cleveland. Berg won in a landslide.

Commissioner Dan Erhart, whose 24 years on the board and 18 as chairman made him a possible candidate for the chair, is throwing his support behind Berg, he said Tuesday. “He’s a solid guy,” he said. “I think he’ll do a fine job.”

Langfeld is being succeeded by political newcomer Robyn West, also a stadium skeptic and not Langfeld’s choice to take over her Blaine-based 3rd District. West’s arrival could embolden what had for several years been a quiet minority camp on the seven-member board. Commissioner Rhonda Sivarajah frequently votes against measures supported by the majority of the board, and Commissioner Jim Kordiak often challenges the assumptions of commissioners and staffers. Kordiak and Sivarajah also were skeptical of the stadium subsidies, but that became irrelevant last month when the relationship between the county and the team fell apart.

Despite the stadium disappointment, Langfeld has said she’s proud of her political career, which began in 1976 when she was elected to the Blaine City Council. “It’s been a unique honor,” Langfeld said, shortly before thudding the gavel at 11:26 a.m. “I don’t think two days have ever been alike. It’s been amazing.”

Dave Orrick can be reached at dorrick@pioneerpress.com or 651-228-2171.

Dave Orrick reports on state government and politics from the Pioneer Press' Capitol Bureau. When the occasion demands, he's been known to cover topics ranging from hunting to golf. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and son.

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